Continuity and Change
by xoxo Cherie
Summary: Once she's finally reunited with her boyfriend, Annabeth finds that instead of letting go of all the worries she's had since he disappeared, they've morphed into completely different ones. In which Annabeth fears how Percy's changed, and Percy is being Percy. Fluffy oneshot.


**Disclaimer: I do not own _Percy Jackson and the Olympians _or _The Heroes of Olympus_**

* * *

Continuity and Change**  
**

Looking back, what bothered Annabeth most about Percy's disappearance, aside from fact that he had basically vanished into thin air and lost all of his memories, was that eight months of their relationship had passed and they were never going to get them back. As much as she was relieved that Percy was found and alive, she couldn't help the disappointing feeling that settled over her every time she thought about all the time they'd lost. It felt like they had barely started their relationship and suddenly he was whisked off to the other side of the continental United States. Oh, Hera was _so_ going to pay for this.

"Why are you thinking so hard, Wise Girl?" Percy took a seat next to Annabeth on the grass. She had been looking out at the Little Tiber, the evening sunlight glittering on the surface of the water.

He smiled; the same smile that she had longed to see all those months apart. Just looking at him reminded Annabeth of how much she had missed him, along with how much he had changed. He was a few inches taller now so that she had to raise her chin to meet his eyes. His hair, still unruly as ever, was a bit longer. Giving him a quick onceover, Annabeth could see some new scars: a shallow scratch on his right hand and a longer deeper looking cut on his left arm, along with other random bruises and scrapes. And she was sure there were more that she couldn't see under his T-shirt and jeans. When he had first told her that he no longer possessed the Curse of Achilles she was slightly dumbfounded (How does one just _rid_ themselves of an ancient and all-powerful curse?), but this was all the proof she needed to know that Percy's invulnerability was gone. Annabeth brushed the healing cut on his hand softly with her fingers.

She answered his question with one of her own. "What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into this time, Seaweed Brain?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a grin slip onto his face. "The kind where we have to save the world and kick evil Titan ass again."

Well, at least his sense of humor hadn't changed.

"You'd think we'd get a break after the last war." Annabeth let out a heavy sigh. "It's like the universe is making an effort to give us a hard time." Her voice was weary and listless, like she hadn't had enough sleep (which she hadn't).

She continued to trail her fingers up from his hand to the new tattoo on the inside of his right forearm. The capital letters _SPQR_ were written in black ink and a thick lone stripe was drawn right underneath. Above the letters, a trident was depicted, obviously for his godly parent. This was the most apparent change, and the first thing she noticed that was different about Percy when she had a free moment look at him.

To her dismay, as much as Percy was still very much _Percy_, the inevitable changes from his time with the Romans were present now. How much she would've given to have been there next to him; to be running around on another perilous quest, saving his sorry, reckless butt… _again_.

"Hey," he put his larger hand on hers, still lingering on his tattoo, "things for you and me have never been easy. We had to go find Zeus's master bolt, sail the Sea of Monsters, and trek through the Labyrinth and a ton of other crazy stuff before we finally got together." Warmth spread through her as he mentioned the adventures they'd shared. It felt like a weight had lifted off her chest as he recalled the memories that she was so afraid he had forgotten. "But in the end, we made it, and now you're here and you found me."

He raised his hand and placed it gently under her chin, turning her face so that she would meet his eyes. To her immense relief, Percy's eyes hadn't changed; still brilliant sea green, still slightly mischievous, still making her heart flutter.

"You warned me on my birthday last year, remember? I don't think things are _ever _going to be easy for us, Wise Girl. But that's okay. We're always gonna have a hard time, but you and I both know we'll always have each other's backs." Suddenly, a smirk tugged at Percy's lips, "Besides, it wouldn't be nearly as fun if things were easy."

After a moment, Annabeth pulled Percy into a hug. Caught off guard, Percy stiffened slightly before returning it. He was warm and she inhaled his scent, and it felt like she was breathing easily for the first time since his disappearance.

"For a Seaweed Brain, you always know what to say," she whispered, smiling into his neck.

Percy let his head rest in her hair, smoothing his hand over her back. When they pulled away, Percy stood, brushed the dirt from his jeans and reached a hand out to help her off the grass. She took it, letting him pull her up. They stood together in silence, smiling and taking each other in. Annabeth lifted her eyes to Percy's again. Maybe some things about Percy had changed, and maybe she had missed out on his latest life-threatening adventures, but upon a second look, Annabeth realized that he was still the same. Taller, scraped up, and now the proud owner of a new tattoo, but definitely the same brave, loyal, and generally amazing idiot she had met when they were twelve years old.

Before she could lose her nerve, Annabeth rose onto her tiptoes (that was certainly new), wrapped her arms around his neck and met his lips with hers. The kiss, like every other one they had shared, sent shivers through her body, straight to the toes she was standing on. One of his hands tangled itself in her hair while the other snaked around her waist, pulling her flush against him.

She didn't know how long they stood there, completely immersed in each other, but when they finally pulled apart, the sun was quickly descending and setting in a violet and crimson sky.

Percy tried to catch his breath, "What was that for?" He leaned his forehead against Annabeth's, the smile still on his face.

"Because I missed you," she took a few deep breaths, "And because I love you." This time, she let her own smirk settle on her lips, "Even after you got yourself kidnapped and lost your memory and decided to get a tattoo."

His grin came back full force as he grabbed her hand. "I love you too. Even though instead of making out with your poor, kidnapped boyfriend during the _very short_ break time," he whined, "you decided to give him a _very long _lecture on ancient Roman architecture."

Both laughed and continued to bicker as they made their way back to the barracks.

"Maybe my boyfriend is a moron for getting kidnapped in the first place."

"Maybe your boyfriend wants to make up for the eight months he hasn't been able to kiss you."

"Maybe my boyfriend should be glad I didn't gut him like a fish when I finally found him."

"Maybe your boyfriend missed you so much he felt like he was going to die and never wants to leave you or make you sad ever again."

Annabeth blushed at his indirect admission. Yes, he was definitely still the same Percy Jackson. She leaned over to kiss him on the cheek before they continued walking.

The worries that had been plaguing Annbeth earlier were gone. Even if they had lost eight months of their relationship, she had a good feeling that the two of them would pick up right where they left off. _Normal_ and _easy_ weren't words that could be used to describe their relationship, but Annabeth was sure that she and Percy preferred it that way.

_Things aren't going to be easy_, Annabeth thought, _and a lot is going to be different from now on._ She snuck a glance at Percy, an elated expression on his face. _But there's some things that never change. And maybe everything will work out for the best._

* * *

**AN: Hi, you can call me Cherie. I'm new to the FanFic world and after reading a lot, I thought I'd give it a try myself. I've been writing for a while, but this is the first piece I've published online. I know it's short and I don't think it's my best work, but you've got to start somewhere, right? **

**The title comes from one of the types of essays I had to write for my AP World History class. **

**Reviews are welcome and appreciated!  
**

**xoxo Cherie  
**


End file.
